Sanding system



Sept 6, i965 H. A. KILGORE ETQAL 3,271,060

SANDING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 1.7, 1965 i 1 g v l .......L

Troie/WEF United States Patent O 3,271,060 SANDING SYSTEM Harry A. Kilgore, Elmhurst, and Harold L. Smith, La Grange, Ill., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 488,210 6 Claims. (Cl. 291-3) This invention relates to a system for supplying sand to the traction drive means of a railway locomotive to increase its traction.

It is a common practice to provide railway locomotives with a sanding system in which air under relatively high pressure forces sand through a delivery conduit to the point of contact between the locomotive wheel and the track. Diiculty is frequently encountered with such sanding systems because the -discharge end of the delivery conduit is disposed close to the ground and often becomes obstructed by mud or snow between sanding operations.

This invention is directed to a new sanding system designed to overcome this diculty. This invention provides a sanding system in which a continuous ow of air under relatively low pressure -is directed through the sand delivery conduits. This ilow of air removes material such as mud and snow which might otherwise accumulate to obstruct the conduits.

A supply of low pressure air is readily available on the majority of existing locomotives. These locomotives, driven from the engine through an electric transmission consisting of a generator and electric traction motors, have an engine driven blower which supplies cooling air to ventilate the traction motors. This blower supplies air in volume suicient to also maintain an air flow which will prevent obstruction of the sand delivery conduits. This invention therefore affords considerable advantage over the known sanding systems since it is not dependent upon the locomotive high pressure air system to free thedelivery condu-its of obstruction. The drain of the high pressure air system on engine power is reduced, and in addition, a greater volume of high pressure air is available to meet the demands imposed by the air bra-kes and other pneumatic safety devices. Thus this sanding sys- Item adds to the present economy and safety of locomotive operation.

This invention additionally provides means by which the iiow of low pressure air may be utilized to carry the sand to the wheels. A switching device is provided which, when sanding is required diverts the ilow of low pressure air through the sand traps where it picks up sand and carries it through the delivery conduits to the wheels. Thus this sanding system is completely independent of the high pressure air system and affords a substantial improvement in locomotive operation.

The details as well as other objects and advantages of this invention are disclosed in the following specication and in the drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a locomotive including this new sanding system;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the major componen-ts of the sanding system shown in FIGURE l and illustrates the means by which air ow is directed through the delivery conduit to maintain it free of obstruction; and

FIGURE 3 is a view of the components shown in FJG- URE 2, illustrating the operation in which air ow is 3,271,060 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 directed through the sand trap in order that sand may be carried to the wheel.

Referring lrst to FIGURE 1, a locomotive L includes anengine E which drives a generator G to supply power to traction motors 'M Motors M drive wheels W to propel locomotive L along a track T. A blower B is driven by engine 'E to supply a plenum chamber 10 with air under low pressure. Air Hows from chamber 10 through dexible connections 12 to cool traction motors M.

-T he sanding system provided by this invention includes a pair of sand storage containers 14 which supply sand to sand traps 16. Sand is delivered from traps 16 through delivery conduits 18 to the point of contact between the wheels W and the track T. l Air for sanding is supplied to a switching device 20 through a connection 22 from plenum chamber 10. As shown in FIGURE 2, a bypass conduit 24 opens into switching device 20 and has a pair of branches 26 and 2'8 which direct air ow into sand trapsl 16 downstream of storage containers 14. Thus, air flows continuously through delivery conduits 18 to maintain the delivery conduits free of obstruction.

When sanding is required, a solenoid 30 is energized to pull a valve-operating rod 32 against the bias of a spring 34. A valve 36 secured to rod 32 then closes bypass conduit 24, and at the same time, a valve 38, also secured to rod 32, opens an air conduit 401. Air conduit 40 has a pair of b-ranches 42 and 44 which direct air ow to sand traps 16 upstream of storage containers 14.

Sand is supplied to traps 16 by gravity iiow from storage containers 14. As ind-ica-ted in FIGURE 2, when air flow is directed through b-ranches 26 and 2:8 of bypass conduit 24, the sand -flows into traps 16 until it achieves a natural angle of repose. When sand-ing is required, the air flow then directed through branches 42 and 44 of air conduit 40 picks up the sand in traps 16 and carries it through delivery conduits 18. Additional sand is supplied to traps 16 from storage containers 14 until ow through air conduit 40 is shut oi and the sand in the traps has once again achieved a natural angle of repose.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the air and bypass conduit branches may be differently arranged to provide air for delivery conduits on both sides of the same truck, that additional air and bypass conduits may be connected to switching device 20 to provide means for sanding while traveling in the opposite direction, and that switching devices may be provided at both ends of the locomotive if desirable. Such modilications could be made without reducing the advantages achieved by this invention.

We claim:

1. In a railway locomotive including Wheels adapted to roll along a track, a system for `supplying sand to said wheels to increase traction comprising: a delivery conduit extending adjacent one of said wheels, sand storage means connected to said delivery conduit and adapted to deliver sand thereto, a source of air under pressure, an air conduit from said source connected to said delivery conduit upstream of said storage means and adapted to direct a stream of air through said delivery conduit whereby sand is delivered to said wheel, a bypass conduit from said source connected to said delivery conduit downstream of said storage means and adapted to direct a stream of air through said delivery conduit whereby said delivery conduit is maintained free of obstruction, and switching means in said source adapted to direct a stream of air through said air conduit only when delivery of sand to said wheel is required.

2. The sanding system of claim 1 wherein said switching means is further adapted to close said air conduit when delivery of sand is not required and to close said Ibypass conduit when delivery of sand is required.

3. The sanding system of claim 2 wherein said switching means includes an air conduit valve and a bypass conduit valve secured to opposite ends of a valve operating rod, said rod and valves being biased in an air condu-it valve closing direction, andan electrical solenoid energizable to operate said rod in a bypass conduit valve closing direction.

4. In a railway locomotive includ-ing Wheels adapted to roll along a track, a system for supplying sand to said wheels to increase traction comprising: a sand trap, sand storage means d-isposed above said trap and adapted to supply sand thereto by grav-ity ow, a delivery conduit extending from said trap adjacent one of said Wheels, a source of air under pressure, an air conduit extending from said source to said trap upstream of said storage means and adapted to direct a stream of air through said trap and conduit whereby sand is delivered to said Wheel, a bypass conduit extending from said source to said trap downstream of said storage means and adapted to direct a stream of air through said delivery conduit whereby said delivery conduit is maintained free of obstruction, and switching means in said source alternatively directing a stream of a-ir through said air and bypass conduits, said switching means including an air conduit valve and a bypass conduit valve secured to a valve operating rod, said rod and valves being biased to close said air conduit and open said bypass conduit, and an electrical solenoid energizable to operate said rod to open said air conduit and close said bypass conduit when sanding is required.

5. In a railway locomotive including wheels adapted to roll along tracks and an engine adapted to drive said wheels, a system for supplying sand to said wheels to increase traction comprising: first and'second sand traps disposed adjacent a pair of said wheels, sand storage means disposed above said traps and adapted to supply sand thereto by gravity ow, rst and second delivery conduits eX- tending respectively from said traps adjacent said wheels, an air plenum chamber, an engine driven blower adapted to pressurize said chamber, an air flow conduit extending from said plenum chamber having rst and second branches respectively connected to said sand traps upstream of said storage means and adapted to direct a stream of air through said traps and delivery conduits whereby sand is delivered to said Wheels, a bypass conduit extending from said plenum chamber having irst and second branches respectively connected to said sand traps downstream of said storage means `and adapted to direct a stream of air through said delivery conduits whereby said delivery conduits are maintained free of obstruction, and switching means in said plenum chamber alternatively directing a stream of air through said air and bypass conduits, said switching means including an air conduit valve and a bypass conduit valve secured to opposite ends of a reciprocable valve operating rod, means biasing said rod and valves to close said air conduit and open said bypass conduit, and an electrical solenoid energizable to operate said rod to open said air conduit and close said bypass conduit when sanding is required.

6. The locomotive of claim 5 which further includes an electrical transmission having an engine driven generator and traction motors to drive said wheels and wherein said plenum chamber supplies cooling air for said transmission.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1924 Harney 291--1 1/1964 Aydelott 10S-59 

1. IN A RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE INCLUDING WHEELS ADAPTED TO ROLL ALONG A TRACK, A SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING SAND TO SAID WHEELS TO INCREASE TRACTION COMPRISING: A DELIVERY CONDUIT EXTENDING ADJACENT ONE OF SAID WHEELS, SAND STORAGE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DELIVERY CONDUIT AND ADAPTED TO DELIVER SAND THERETO, A SOURCE OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE, AN AIR CONDUIT FROM SAID SOURCE CONNECTED TO SAID DELIVERY CONDUIT UPSTREAM OF SAID STORAGE MEANS AND ADAPTED TO DIRECT A STREAM OF AIR THROUGH SAID DELIVERY CONDUIT WHEREBY SAND IS DELIVERED TO SAID WHEEL, A BYPASS CONDUIT FROM SAID SOURCE CONNECTED TO SAID DELIVERY CONDUIT DOWNSTREAM OF SAID STORAGE MEANS AND ADAPTED TO DIRECT A STREAM OF AIR THROUGH SAID DELIVERY CONDUIT WHEREBY SAID DELIVERY CONDUIT IS MAINTAINED FREE OF OBSTRUCTION, AND SWITCHING MEANS IN SAID SOURCE ADAPTED TO DIRECT A STREAM OF AIR THROUGH SAID AIR CONDUIT ONLY WHEN DELIVERY OF SAND TO SAID WHEEL IS REQUIRED. 